Research paper
Grill HJ, Hayes MR. Hindbrain neurons as an essential hub in the neuroanatomically distributed control of energy balance. Cell Metabolism. 2012;16(3):296-309. doi:10.1016/j.cmet.2012.06.015. PMID: 22902836.
Why we cite it
Major review arguing that the hindbrain (NTS) is not merely a relay station but an essential integrative hub for energy balance, challenging the hypothalamic-centric model that dominated 20th-century obesity research. Relevant to this project because it explains why satiety is a multi-level process — the brainstem can terminate meals without any conscious thought, the hypothalamus tunes this sensitivity based on long-term energy stores, and newly discovered NTS-to-reward-centre connections explain how gut signals directly modulate the rewarding value of food. This distributed architecture means that eating behaviour is far more automatic and physiological than most people realise.
DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2012.06.015 · PubMed 22902836 · Publisher